Sue Delaney Obituary

Sue Delaney died Friday, March 9, 2012, at her home in Crowbar Creek, near Bayfield, from congestive heart failure. She was 79.

Ms. Delaney was born Dec. 16, 1932, to Bertram and Mildred Fitzgerald in Chicago. She was raised in Chicago and attended high school at Saints Scholastica.

Ms. Delaney studied biology at Rosemont College in Philadelphia and received her degree in 1954.

On Aug. 21, 1954, Ms. Delaney married Thomas Delaney in Chicago.

In 1954, the couple moved to DuBois, Pa., to raise their family. Together, Ms. Delaney and her husband Thomas had eight children.

In 1978, Ms. Delaney received a master's degree in counseling from the Indiana University in Pennsylvania.

From 1988 until 1997, Ms. Delaney researched and wrote about women's health issues for Women's Healthcare Consultants in Evanston, Ill.

Ms. Delaney moved to Bayfield in 1992 and lived in an adobe home that she designed and built in the HD Mountains.

Though the couple had been separated for many years, Ms. Delaney and Thomas Delaney divorced in 1996.

During her life, Ms. Delaney was passionate about women's issues, right to death with dignity and community response to natural-gas drilling, her family said.

Ms. Delaney also collected art from around the world, she traveled extensively through Africa, Asia, Mexico, Central and South America, Europe and the United States.

She also loved animals including horses, donkeys, dogs and cats, her family said.

Ms. Delaney is survived by sons Kevin Delaney of Severna Park, Md., Thomas Delaney of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif., Brian Delaney of Tallahassee, Fla., Matthew Delaney of Los Angeles, Patrick Delaney of Evergreen, Robert Delaney of Westwood, Mass.; daughters Kathleen Delaney of Evanston, Ill., Mary Guinn Delaney of Santiago, Chile; brothers Jim Fitzgerald of Bayfield, Michael Fitzgerald of Chicago; sister Sally Rynne of Chicago; 14 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life will be held from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday March 17, 2012, at her home at 1710 County Road 525 near Bayfield.

Contributions can be made to the San Juan Citizens Alliance P.O. Box 2461, 1022½ Main Avenue, Durango, CO 81302.